write-pkg

What is write-pkg?

The write-pkg npm package is used to write a package.json file. It allows you to create or update the package.json file programmatically, which can be useful for automating project setup or configuration tasks.

What are write-pkg's main functionalities?

Write a new package.json file

This feature allows you to create a new package.json file with the specified content. The code sample demonstrates how to write a new package.json file with basic fields like name, version, and description.

const writePkg = require('write-pkg');

writePkg({
  name: 'awesome-package',
  version: '1.0.0',
  description: 'My awesome package'
}).then(() => {
  console.log('package.json written successfully');
});

Update an existing package.json file

This feature allows you to update an existing package.json file. The code sample demonstrates how to update the version field of an existing package.json file.

const writePkg = require('write-pkg');

writePkg({
  version: '1.0.1'
}, {cwd: '.'}).then(() => {
  console.log('package.json updated successfully');
});

Write a package.json file with nested properties

This feature allows you to write a package.json file with nested properties. The code sample demonstrates how to include nested properties like scripts in the package.json file.

const writePkg = require('write-pkg');

writePkg({
  name: 'awesome-package',
  version: '1.0.0',
  scripts: {
    start: 'node index.js',
    test: 'npm test'
  }
}).then(() => {
  console.log('package.json with nested properties written successfully');
});

Other packages similar to write-pkg

jsonfile

The jsonfile package provides similar functionality for reading and writing JSON files. It is more general-purpose compared to write-pkg, which is specifically designed for package.json files. jsonfile can be used to read and write any JSON file, not just package.json.

edit-json-file

The edit-json-file package allows you to easily read, edit, and write JSON files. It provides a more user-friendly API for modifying JSON files compared to write-pkg. It is also more general-purpose and can be used for any JSON file, not just package.json.

fs-extra

The fs-extra package extends the native Node.js fs module with additional methods for working with the file system, including methods for reading and writing JSON files. It is a more comprehensive solution for file system operations, including but not limited to JSON file manipulation.

README

write-pkg

Write a package.json file

Writes atomically and creates directories for you as needed. Sorts dependencies when writing. Preserves the indentation if the file already exists.

Install

npm install write-pkg

Usage

import path from 'node:path';
import {writePackage} from 'write-pkg';

await writePackage({foo: true});
console.log('done');

await writePackage(path.join('unicorn', 'package.json'), {foo: true});
console.log('done');

API

writePackage(path?, data, options?)

Returns a Promise.

writePackageSync(path?, data, options?)

path

Type: string
Default: process.cwd()

The path to where the package.json file should be written or its directory.

options

Type: object

indent

Type: string | number
Default: Auto-detected or '\t'

The indentation to use for new files.

Accepts '\t' for tab indentation or a number of spaces.

If the file already exists, the existing indentation will be used.

normalize

Type: boolean
Default: true

Remove empty dependencies, devDependencies, optionalDependencies and peerDependencies objects.

write-pkg for enterprise

Available as part of the Tidelift Subscription.

The maintainers of write-pkg and thousands of other packages are working with Tidelift to deliver commercial support and maintenance for the open source dependencies you use to build your applications. Save time, reduce risk, and improve code health, while paying the maintainers of the exact dependencies you use. Learn more.

Related

• read-pkg - Read a package.json file
• write-json-file - Stringify and write JSON to a file atomically